Braless Lena Dunham embraces Natalie Portman while filming new Netflix rom-com

Daily Mail​

4 days ago

Lena Dunham excitedly embraced Natalie Portman, whom she teamed up with to co-produce her new Netflix rom-com Good Sex, in Manhattan's East Village on Monday.
The 39-year-old writer-director bared her tattooed sleeves in a $148 GapStudio 'Draped Denim Slip' maxi-dress, matching blue neckerchief, and black Nike sneakers.
Lena - who boasts 3M Instagram followers - shared a snap of her fit on Monday captioned: 'Really enjoying dressing for set and beyond this summer.'
And the 44-year-old Oscar winner looked comfy in a beige T-shirt, grey sweatpants, and white Keds 'Champion Canvas Lace-Up' sneakers.
Natalie (born Neta-Lee Hershlag) hauled a tote emblazoned with The New Yorker and she wore dark sunglasses over her make-up free complexion.
Portman later got into costume as her newly-single character, successful couples therapist Ally, who's caught in a love triangle very similar to Celine Song's recent rom-com Materialists.
The former child star slipped her slim 5ft3in figure into a $2,048 Prada 'Pleated Sablé' shirt, black mini-skirt, $1,115 Jacquemus 'The Calino' ring handbag, and patent leather long-tongue loafers.
Natalie - clutching a to-go cup from Café Chrystie - also wore cat-eye sunglasses and $320 Jacquemus 'The Rond Carré' earrings as part of her costume.
Portman's younger onscreen leading man - a Brooklyn hipster - will be played by Gen-Z singer Role Model (born Tucker Pillsbury) who, at 28, is 16 years her junior.
The Israeli-born, Long Island-raised stunner's older onscreen leading man - successful Manhattanite Alan - will be played by Mark Ruffalo who, at 57, is 13 years her senior.
The four-time Oscar nominee could be seen walking and talking with Dunham as they headed to the set.
'We are about a quarter through our shoot,' the eight-time Emmy nominee told THR last week.
'And as expected, no spoilers here — Natalie Portman is a very, very good actress. It's playing with the romantic comedy form to try to say something about our expectations about relationships, about love and about sex. I think my favorite romantic comedies — whether it's When Harry Met Sally, or Four Weddings and a Funeral, or Love and Basketball — I mean, these are movies that challenge our perceptions about what love is in the era that we live in.
'So that was the goal here, and it's just a joy to be with Natalie, Rashida Jones, Mark Ruffalo, Meg Ryan, and Tucker Pillsbury a.k.a. Role Model. They're all such interesting performers who are bringing such specificity to these parts, and I'm really enjoying my time in the trenches of this genre.'
Indeed, Lena successfully courted rom-com queen Meg Ryan to play a mystery role in Good Sex after running into her at Taylor Swift's Eras Tour concert in London last August.
The 44-year-old Oscar winner looked comfy in a beige T-shirt, grey sweatpants, and white Keds 'Champion Canvas Lace-Up' sneakers
Natalie (born Neta-Lee Hershlag) hauled a tote emblazoned with The New Yorker and she wore dark sunglasses over her make-up free complexion
The former child star slipped her slim 5ft3in figure into a $2,048 Prada 'Pleated Sablé' shirt, black mini-skirt, $1,115 Jacquemus 'The Calino' ring handbag, and patent leather long-tongue loafers
'I decided, it's now or never, and I'm going to shoot my shot. She couldn't be a lovelier person,' Dunham revealed to Variety earlier this month.
'Shout-out Taylor — thank you for that. She brings everyone together; she makes the world go round.'
As for the music, the Nora Ephron protégée enlisted her British-Peruvian husband of four years, Luis Felber, to compose the score just like he did with her previous projects Too Much and Sharp Stick.
Back in January, Netflix won the bidding war in order to procure Good Sex for an eye-popping $55M.
'I really just want people to sit on a couch with their moms and their besties and lean in,' Lena told Variety.
'I love watching other filmmakers fight for the theatrical-release element — but I don't think this will live or die by that.'
HarperCollins will publish Dunham's second memoir Famesick on September 1.
Lena successfully courted rom-com queen Meg Ryan (R) to play a mystery role in Good Sex after running into her at Taylor Swift's Eras Tour concert in London last August
Darren Aronofsky's 2010 psychological thriller Black Swan - which earned Natalie her Academy Award - is returning to over 200 IMAX theaters on August 21 and 24 in honor of the 15th anniversary.
Portman famously fell for her ex-husband - choreographer/dancer Benjamin Millepied - on the set of Black Swan in 2009 while he was still dating Isabella Boylston.
Last year, the Fountain of Youth action star divorced the 48-year-old Frenchman following 11 years of marriage amid cheating allegations, and they're co-parents of son Aleph, 14; and daughter Amalia, 8.